calvert



l. CALVERT. GRIPPING DEVICE Foa HOLDING FLAX DURING SCUTCHINGOPERATIONS.

APPLICATION E.|LED JULY 31.1918- Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET lv 1. CALVERT. v GRIPPING DEVICE FOR HOLDING FLAX oumusscuTcmNc om-inmous.

APPLICATION HLED lULY3|| 191B. 1,,Q1, Patented Nov. 25,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v I w v M v J. CALVERT.

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR HOLDING FLAX DURING SCUTCHING ORERATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY3I. I918.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS- SHEET 3" rrnn snares rarnnr canton JAMES CALVERT, OFDONAGHGLONEY, IRELAND, ASSIGNOR T0 SIR ROBERT vM03319. LIDDELL, 0FDONAGI-ICLONEY, IRELAND,

GRIPPING DEVICE FOR HOLDING FLAX DURINGSCUTCHING OPERATIONS.

Application filed July 31, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES CALVERT, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, of Donaghcloney, in the county of Down, Ireland,mechanic, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in orRelating to Gripping Devices for Holding F lax During ScutchingOperations, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gripping devices for holding flax duringscutching operations. The object of this invention is to provide animproved gripping device.

A gripping device made in accordance with this invention comprises anarm pivoted to a stand or the like, a pair of jaws or the like at theend of the arm, means for rocking the arm to and from the stock, meansfor opening the jaws when the arm is moved away from the stock, meansfor closing the jaws when the arm is moved toward the stock, and meansfor holding the jaws closed while the arm is held in a position in whichthe flax falls over the edge of the stock.

Referring to the drawings filed herewith Figure 1 is a diagrammaticelevation of one form of gripping device made in accordance with thisinvention.

Fig. '2 is a diagram showing an alternative construction in the formshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the device constructed as shown in Fig. 2,adapted for use with a scutchingmachine of the usual type.

a is a wooden or iron plate technically known as the stock, behind whichare mounted a series of revolving wheels provided with blades adapted tobeat the flax held over the edge of the stock in the process ofscutching by which the woody shell inclosing the fiber is removed.

Z; is an arm pivoted at c and provided with a jaw (Z. The arm 6 isprovided with a bracket on which is pivoted a lever f and a link 9. Tothe link 9 is connected a link it. The link it is connected to the standby a spring in. In front of the stock a is disposed a pair of horizontalguides m on which are mounted rollers a and 0. n is attached to the rearguide and there is a space between 11. and the front guide to admit thefree passage of the link 9, which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Serial No. 247,590.

passes between the guide bars. The link h passes through a bracket Zattached to the guide m. The roller 01 is adapted to form a stop to thelever and the roller 0 is adapted to form a stop to the arm b. Theroller 2' which connects links 9 and 71- projects behind g. Thisprojection rests on the lever f and through the influence of the springhelps to force the end of the lever f in a downward direction andfacilitate the opening of the jaws s and d. The jaw (Z is provided withan extension 7) on which is mounted stop or roller Q. The extension 7)forms a guide to the sliding bar 1" which slides on the arm 17;. Thesliding bar 1" is provided with a jaw s which is adapted to co-act withthe jaw (Z on the arm 6. To the sliding bar 7' are attached a pair ofguide plates 6 between which is mounted a roller '0 adapted to form astop to one end ofthe lever which passes into the space between theguide plates. The sliding bar is connected to the stand j by a link wand spring an A handle y is mounted on the arm Z) by which the arm isrocked back and forth on the pivot c. The jaw s is provided with atongue 2 adapted to co-act with a groove in the jaw (Z.

In operating the scutcher holding the handle 2 moves the arm Z) andsliding bar 4" forward to the position shown in the dia gram. As the armcomes forward one end of the lever f strikes the stop 71 causing thelever to rock on its pivot and lift the sliding bar r so as to raise thejaw s away from the jaw d against the action of the spring an Flax isplaced between the jaws, and the scutcher moves the arm I) and slidingbar 1" back. The spring as closes the jaws and holds them in the closedposition. WVhen the arm is back the flax falls over the stock a where itis beaten by the blades on the wheels already referred to but not shown.The spring 70 counterbalances the spring a and assists the scutcher inmoving the arm. and sliding bar back. When the operation is complete thescutcher moves the arm I) and sliding bar 1" forward opening the jaws sand d, the fiber is then removed and fresh flax is placed in the jaw andthe operation repeated.

The alternative construction of this flax gripping device shown in Fig.2, comprises a frame j, on which is mounted a weighted lever w. Pivotedat c on the frame 3" is a bent arm 6 provided with the gripping aw' dand handle 3 attached to its upper end. Pivoted to the bentarm Z2 at Z)is a link g. Slidably mounted upon 6 is the member 1' the top end ofwhich forms the upper gripping jaws while to the lower end is attachedthe link w? which connects it through the medium of link 9- and link hto a weighted lever w. This weighted lever is so arranged that when thearm 6 and sliding member 7" are in the position shown, the weight on endof lever a? rests upon the ground, while if the arm Z) is moved to theright away from the scutching handles, the jaws cl 8 of the gripper areopened to allow the flax to be removed and changed. Vhen the arm 6 ismoved back toward the scutch ing handles, the weighted lever 00 israisedfrom the ground so that while the flax is being acted upon by thescutching handles, the weighted lever 00 is acting upon the jaws (Z 3through the medium of the link 'h, lever 9, link to, and sliding memberthus holding the flax firmly against the pull of the handles. Ifnecessary the arm 6 can be balanced against the pull of the weightedlever :11 by means of a spring or weight such as m suitably placed forsuch purpose, or a suitably placed spring may be substituted for theweighted lever w.

This flax gripping arrangement may be mounted either directly upon 'thestock a as shown in Fig. 1 or it may be mounted upon the frame as shownin Fig. 2, which is adapted for attaching the apparatus to the stocks inexisting scutch mills.

A gripping device made in accordance with this invention for holdingflax during scutchingoperations does away with the necessity of thescutcher holding the flax in his hand and avoids the risk of injury tothe scutcher. The yield of scutched flax is increased by the use of agripping device made in accordance with this invention, as owing to therigidity of the grip the blades on the wheel or handles as they areknown in the trade do not pull the weaker and shorter fibers of the flaxout in the same way in which they are pulled from the scutchers hands,which is liable to happen at all times,

in accordance with this invention, unskilled labor may take the place ofskilled scutchers. v

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is i v 1. A grippingdevice arranged and adapted to operate in connection with a scutchingmachine comprising an arm pivoted to a stand, a pair of jaws at the endof the arm, means for rocking the arm to and from the stand, means foropening the jaws when the arm is moved in one direction, and means forclosing the jaws when the arm is moved in the other direction.

2. A gripping device arranged and adapta jaw on said sliding bar andmeans for moving the sliding bar with respect to the arm as it is rockedon its pivot, said means including two springyelements in opposition toone another for holding the jaws closed in the workingposition of saidarm, and for assisting the return of the arm to the working position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presenceof twosubscribing wltnesses.

Witnesses:

RICHARD DAWSON Barns, J OHN DUNVILLE CoATEs.

JAMES CALVERT.

